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LOWER LEFT: A skylight
brightens the galley
tremendously. The same
effect happens in the salon
(above), thanks to the
sliding side-deck doors and
optional balcony.I
f you’re seeking a yacht in the 90- to 100-
foot size range, you’ve probably noticed
that most are a lot like their smaller sisters.
Outside of devoting more floor space to the
salon, staterooms and other guest areas,
the general arrangements are essentially
the same. Even headroom from builder to
builder is generally equal.
Most customers in this semi-custom market don’t
mind, but there’s still room, literally and figuratively, for
something different. Hatteras’ newest Motor Yacht, the
M90 Panacera, proves it. In fact, the differences don’t
just benefit owners and guests. They aid the captain and
crew, too, in unusual ways for a vessel of her 91-foot,
9-inch (27.9-meter) length overall.
Arguably the biggest difference between the M90
Panacera and her competitors is the country kitchen. This
quintessentially American arrangement will please owners
who have a more relaxed relationship with their chef, and
who relish a midnight snack without needing a steward-
ess. The space is all the more pleasing—for guests and
crew—thanks to an atrium effect and three skylights. The
Hatteras M75 Panacera (formerly called the 75 Motor
Yacht) had the original version of these design elements,
but on the M90, photos and words can’t quite convey the
sense of volume they lend. In combination with ports to
three sides and predominantly white stone on hull num-
ber one, a spec build, these galley features create about as
much light as there could possibly be.
Hatteras opted to enhance the galley at the expense
of adding a main-deck master stateroom, a layout that
more and more builders in the 90- to 100-foot rangeare borrowing from larger yachts. However, the M90’s
master still spans the full beam, suffering no lack of
space from sharing the lower deck with three guest
staterooms. In addition, Hatteras included a coffee and
snack bar just outside the master’s doors on hull number
one. That’s a megayacht touch that makes waking up all
the more enjoyable. Crew can set up morning beverages
while guests are still sleeping.
Another feature that lends a sense of big-boat ele-
gance and space is an option that Hatteras fitted aboard
hull number one: a balcony off the salon. For the past
several years, balconies have become must-haves aboard
megayachts in excess of 100 feet, as with hot tubs and
beach clubs. The balconies bring the outside environ-
ment inside, and maximize usable space. Folding down
off the port side, the M90’s balcony is ideally suited to
two guests standing and admiring the view, versus set-
ting up a table and chairs. Regardless, the feature is an
unexpected touch on a yacht in this class.
A standard feature aboard the M90 is the proprietary
HattCON system, integrating data for navigation, com-
munication, ship’s systems and creature comforts into
three touchscreen helm displays. Hatteras’s research
and development team collaborated with a German
marine-engineering company to avoid the incompatibil-
ity issues common to multiple installations. Captains
can call up whatever information is needed on each
screen: aft camera views for docking, tank levels and
more. Where the camera is concerned, a finger swipe
adjusts the video display, similar to using an iPad. As
for creature comforts, the captain can control lighting
inside or outside, including underwater lights.LOA: 91ft. 9in. (27.95m)
BEAM: 22ft. 6in. (6.86m)
DRAFT: 5ft. 7in. (1.72m)
DISPLACEMENT: 115 tons
CONSTRUCTION: fiberglass
ENGINES (standard): 2 x
1,600-hp Caterpillar C32A
ENGINES (options): 2 x
1,800-hp/1,900-hp Caterpillar
or MTU
SPEED (max./cruising): 24.7
knots/22 knots
FUEL: 3,285 gal. (12,435L)
WATER: 820 gal. (3,104L)